Healthy Vegan Apple Pancakes (Gluten Free!)

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These perfectly sweet, fluffy vegan apple pancakes will remind you of an apple cider donut! Made with gluten-free flour, apple juice, warm spices, and a fresh apple compote, this is a healthy, family-friendly breakfast that everyone will love!

Come fall, our family tradition is to visit an orchard, pick apples, and enjoy warm apple cider and donuts. Last year, an orchard we visited made apple cider donuts, and they were amazing! I wanted to recreate those classic fall flavors in the form of healthy apple pancakes that I could serve for a weekend treat all year round.

These apple cinnamon pancakes are filled with fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger, and are lightly sweetened with apple juice and brown sugar. They taste like an apple cider donut but they’re heathy and vegan too!

Top this beautiful stack with an easy apple compote for an extra special treat! Fuji apples are a great choice with their natural sweetness. I guarantee these will be some of the best apple cider pancakes you will ever make! Even my dairy-loving friends devour these easy vegan apple cinnamon pancakes. Do yourself a favor and make a double batch for your weekend brunch! And if you like these, you have to try my vegan lemon ricotta pancakes too!

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👩🏽‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

• These healthy pancakes taste indulgent.
• Perfect for apple season!
• This apple pancake recipe is a breeze to make.
• Nobody will even know they’re gluten-free & vegan!
• My apple vegan pancakes are high-fiber and nutrient-rich!
• A perfect fall breakfast for a Saturday morning or for holiday brunch, but really great any time of year.
• The whole family will love these easy apple pancakes!

🥘 Ingredients

These gluten-free apple pancakes require simple ingredients from your local grocery store! Find the full recipe with exact measurements at the bottom of this post.

For The Vegan Apple Pancakes Recipe

Flax Seeds & Water: Eggless pancakes don’t have to be dense. Ground flax seeds combined with water form a flax egg. It provides structure for this eggless apple pancake recipe, just like an egg would. Ground chia seeds are a good option too. If using ground chia seeds, reduce the amount to 1 tablespoon.

Gluten-Free Flour: You can’t make gluten free apple pancakes without this! For best results, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour that contains xanthan gum. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 All-Purpose Flour for its superb taste and texture. It also happens to be healthier than white flour. If you’re not gluten-free, replace it with white whole wheat flour, spelt flour, or all-purpose flour.

Baking Powder: Baking powder is essential for a fluffy texture! It helps the batter rise as it sits and then again once it hits the hot skillet.

Coconut Oil: Oil keeps pancakes tender and moist. Vegetable oil or unsalted butter works too! For vegan pancakes, use oil or vegan butter.

Brown Sugar: For the perfect amount of sweetness! White sugar or coconut sugar are great options too. You can also omit this for even more healthy apple pancakes with no added sugar.

Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves provide warmth and spice to these fluffy pancakes! Feel free to substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons of apple pie spice in their place.

Vanilla Extract: Vanilla makes the other ingredients shine!

Unsweetened Apple Juice: This imparts apple flavor while naturally sweetening these delicious pancakes! If you make these in the fall, apple cider will do the trick!

Soy Milk: Any non-dairy milk is a great option. I prefer soy or almond milk, but oat milk works too! To make vegan buttermilk add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to the soy milk. If you’re not vegan, whole milk can be used.

For The Cinnamon Apple Topping

The best pancakes come with toppings! A healthy breakfast shouldn’t be boring. Nut butters, granola, shredded apples, and chopped nuts make great toppings too.

Fuji Apple: Fresh apples are naturally sweet and perfect for cinnamon apples! I prefer Fuji (to me, they are the most delicious apples!) but you can use any kind of apple you like! Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith will all work but keep in mind, granny smith apples are tart! I prefer to dice them, but apple slices work too.

Maple Syrup: To sweeten the compote. White or brown sugar works too.

Unsweetened Apple Juice: Apple juice moistens the apples to make them soft.

Vanilla & Cinnamon: For that something extra! Cinnamon and vanilla take this compote up a notch.

📖 Variations

• Vegan Apple Oat Pancakes: Substitute 1/4 cup of the gluten-free flour with oat flour. Stir in 3/4 cup of grated apples to make these apple oatmeal pancakes even better!
• Apple Sauce Pancakes: Replace 1/4 cup of the apple juice with unsweetened applesauce.
• Apple Banana Pancakes: Replace 1/4 cup of the apple juice with 1/4 cup of mashed banana. Top with diced banana in addition to the apple compote!
• Apple Blueberry Pancakes: Add 1/2 cup blueberries to the apple topping mixture. Cook down and then top with additional fresh blueberries! You can also drop some blueberries into the pancake batter while it cooks!
• Pumpkin Pancakes: Replace the apple juice with 1/2 cup pumpkin puree!
• Sugar Free Pancakes: This recipe already has no refined sugar, but you can omit all the sugar by using sugar free apple juice, and omitting the brown sugar or maple syrup or use a sugar-free alternative (like monk fruit instead of the brown sugar).
• Whole Grains: If you’re not gluten-free, whole wheat flour is a great way to pack in nutrients. Replace the gluten-free flour with whole wheat flour.

🔪 Instructions

Make the Flax Egg: Combine the ground flax and water then set aside. Let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken.

Sift the Flour: Combine flour and baking powder then sift into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Combine Ingredients: In another medium bowl, combine the coconut oil, brown sugar, spices, vanilla, apple juice, and soy milk.

Mix Together: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients along with the flax egg. Whisk until the mixture resembles pancake batter then let the batter rest for 5 minutes.

Make the Topping: Combine the compote ingredients into a small pot over medium-high heat. Stir until the crisp apple mixture softens.

Cook Pancakes: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray the pan with cooking spray or olive oil or drizzle in some vegetable oil. Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter onto the hot griddle / skillet and cook until small bubbles appear. Flip and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Repeat until all the batter is gone.

Serve Pancakes: Enjoy the cooked pancakes with the sweet apple topping and a drizzle of maple syrup!

❓ Recipe FAQs

👪 How To Serve

This eggless apple pancake recipe tastes delicious topped with apples, but one thing I like to do with pancakes is put out a “toppings bar”. Everyone can choose any combination of toppings they like. Here are some of my favorite options to serve with apple pancakes:

• Fresh berries (blueberries/strawberries/raspberries)
• Diced banana + nut butter or apple butter
• Plain, with just a dusting of cinnamon sugar and nutmeg on top
• Diced pears, either served raw or cooked into a compote-like mixture
• Warm maple syrup and butter (for a more decadent, dessert like feel)
• Granola, a sprinkle of hemp seeds, and coconut whipped cream

💭 Expert Tips

• To reduce the lumps in your batter first mix your dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Then, make a well in the dry mixture, pour in the wet ingredients, and stir a few times. Be gentle – overmixing will result in flat pancakes!
• For best results, use a non-stick pan or electric griddle. This will prevent the these healthy apple pancakes from sticking to the pan.
• Let the batter sit for about 5-10 minutes while you heat your griddle or skillet.
• Use a cookie scoop or pancake dispenser, to measure out the portions.
• Flip the pancakes only when the edges look a little dry and you see bubbles on top. They are ready when both sides are golden brown!
• Wipe off the skillet in between pancake batches — it’s inevitable that some parts of the pancake might flake off and burn, or the unused oil will burn when you’re cooking the pancakes. To avoid any off-tasting or burned bits attaching to your next batch, carefully wipe the skillet clean in between!
• Slather on some peanut butter for plant-based protein.

🥞 More Delicious Breakfast Recipes!

• Vegan French Toast Casserole
• Easy Air Fryer Pancakes
• Spinach Pancakes
• Vegan Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes
• Santa Pancakes
• Fluffy Almond Milk Pancakes
• Nutella Waffles
• Mochi Pancakes
• Vegan Frittata
• Mini Pancakes (Silver Dollar Pancakes)
• Oat Flour Pancakes
• Healthy Pancakes Recipe

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